<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Perfect Day by Astrid_Midnight</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191639">A Perfect Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrid_Midnight/pseuds/Astrid_Midnight'>Astrid_Midnight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Gen, Only slight angst, father-son bonding, happy birthday noctis!, pre-game</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:13:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrid_Midnight/pseuds/Astrid_Midnight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Noct's birthday and Regis has a few surprises in store to make it extra special!!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Noctis Lucis Caelum &amp; Regis Lucis Caelum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Perfect Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here's a fic I wrote for our king's birthday!! Hope you enjoy!!</p><p>Disclaimer: I own nothing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The shrill ringing of his phone alarm shocked Noctis into consciousness. His groggy mind struggled to catch up with itself as he was trying to force himself to wake up. He huffed and shoved his head under his pillow. He really wasn’t in the mood to get up at- oh, yeah- <em>eight in the morning</em>.</p><p>Despite the fact that it was his birthday, Noctis was still expected to carry out his ‘daily prince duties’. Fun. Even if it wasn’t his birthday, he would still want to lie in bed for as long as he could. The less he had to do, the better.</p><p>Noctis smacked his hand against the bedside table and his alarm went silent, indicating that he managed to hit his phone. He buried his head further into his pillow. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to stay in bed for long but he wanted to get as much shut eye as possible.</p><p>He didn’t get even five minutes until the door to his apartment opened. Ignis, he thought, ever punctual. Noctis should’ve known Ignis would be straight through the door not long after the time he was supposed to be up at. He was most likely here to make sure that Noctis was awake and already getting ready for the day.</p><p>Well, he was <em>one</em> of those things.</p><p>To his surprise, however, Ignis did not come bursting into his room wondering why he wasn’t up yet. Noctis wanted to take that as an opportunity to get a few more moments of sleep but he also didn’t want to tempt fate with that. For all he knew, Ignis was waiting for him right outside of his room.</p><p>With that thought in his mind, he dragged his body up and stretched his arms, still struggling to keep his eyes open. He sat upright in bed for another minute, trying to wake himself up. Quickly realising that wasn’t going to happen while he was still in bed, Noctis had to force himself out of bed. He was a little unsteady on his feet but he walked over to his door and slowly opened it.</p><p>He walked out of his room and into the living room and saw Ignis standing in the kitchen area.</p><p>The advisor smiled at him. “Morning, Noct. Happy birthday.”</p><p>Noctis ruffled his hair that was sticking out. “Thanks, Iggy.”</p><p>He yawned loudly and Ignis chuckled lightly. “Coffee?”</p><p>Noctis nodded, rubbing his heavy eyes. “Yeah, thanks.” He walked over to the couch and slumped down, closing his eyes and letting his head hand back. He focused his attention on the sound of Ignis preparing the coffee, hoping it would help him wake up. Eventually, he heard the sound of something clinking onto the coffee table. He opened his eyes and saw Ignis setting down a mug, his own in his other hand. He picked up the mug and immediately took a big gulp of the drink. He was already feeling the heat and caffeine spread throughout his body and sighed in relief.</p><p>“You’ve got breakfast with you father, this morning, remember?”, Ignis asked him.</p><p>Noctis hummed in response. “Yeah, I remember.”</p><p>His father had suggested a birthday breakfast with just the two of them before they had to go on with their respective duties. It was a little weird to Noctis, because they hadn’t done that since he moved out of the palace. However, that was the reason why he was eager to accept. Their responsibilities had always kept them from spending time with each other and that had only gotten worse as he grew up. Today, however, was one of those rare days where they could spend some time together.</p><p>With that thought in his mind, Noctis chugged down the rest of his coffee and got up to get into the shower. Once he was done, he stepped back into his room, seeing one of his suit jackets laid out on his bed (most likely by Ignis). He rolled his eyes as he got changed. It was only breakfast and it’s not like this birthday was any special compared to his other ones; was there a point to get all fancy with it? He dried his hair and made sure that it was styled neatly before pulling his shoes on.</p><p>Once Noctis was sure that he was ready, he left his room and made his way over to Ignis, who was patiently waiting by the door, typing something on his phone. When he heard Noctis approach, he sharply looked up and put his phone in his pocket.</p><p>“Are you all set?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>Ignis nodded and the two of them exited the apartment, the advisor telling Noctis to make sure he locked the door tight (he gave an annoyed grumble in response). The car ride on the way to the Citadel was uneventful, consisting only of Ignis making small talk. He casted a quick look at Noctis before focusing on the road again.</p><p>“Everything alright?”</p><p>“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”</p><p>“You just seem a little quiet this morning. I thought you’d be a more excited about today.”</p><p>Noctis shrugged. “It’s just a birthday. Nothing really special about it.”</p><p>“Not necessarily. Turning twenty years old is a rather big milestone.”</p><p>“I guess… but today is just going to be breakfast with my dad and then back to royal duties I can’t put off.”</p><p>Though maybe he could sneak off to his room to play some of his games at some point. Maybe he could make that happen if he was smart about it.</p><p>“Well, maybe don’t rule out every possibility just yet.”</p><p>Noctis didn’t really think over Ignis’s words. How different could today be to any other day at the Citadel?</p><p>He didn’t see that Ignis was smiling.</p>
<hr/><p>When Noctis and Ignis reached the Citadel, the advisor escorted him through the palace, to the royal dining room where his father was waiting to have breakfast. As the two of them walked down the hallways, the servants and guards they passed continually told Noctis ‘happy birthday’, which he replied with thanks and a smile. It was alright at first but it got really tiring after a while. He knew people were treating his birthday as something special because he was the prince but Noctis still wasn’t understanding what the big deal was. Hopefully, the day could be over with quickly and he could be able to get back to his business as normal.</p><p>He was drawn from his thoughts when he and Ignis stopped in front of the doors to the dining room. Ignis gave him a smile and the two of them gave each other a brief goodbye. Taking in a deep breath, Noctis pushed the doors open. He walked into the room and immediately saw his father sitting at the end of the table, the same place he always sat in whenever the two of them ate together.</p><p>When Regis looked up and saw Noctis, he immediately stood up and strode over to him. He smiled warmly at him. “Happy birthday, son.”</p><p>When Noctis was close enough, the king wrapped his arms around his son, pulling him close against his shoulder. Noctis leaned into the embrace, feeling the warmth around his body and against his head. He tried not to linger in the embrace for too long but he couldn’t help himself. In recent years, he never really hugged his father, mainly due to the fact that their own duties prevented them from spending a lot of time with each other.</p><p>Noctis let himself enjoy the embrace for a few more moments before reaching up to pat his father on the back. “Yeah, thanks, dad.”</p><p>The two of them broke apart and Regis’s smile didn’t falter; Noctis found himself smiling back. Regis patted him on the shoulder. “Well, what’re we doing standing around? The food’s going to go cold.”</p><p>Noctis’s smile grew; he was already enjoying the casual tone from his father that he missed hearing. Noctis sat down in his usual seat and looked around the room. “Noticing the interesting absence of guards today.”</p><p>Regis smirked. “I just thought it would be nice if we could enjoy your birthday breakfast, just the two of us. Is that a problem?”</p><p>Noctis rolled his eyes in bemusement. “Of course not.” He already began picking at the assortment of different foods in front of him, placing them onto his plate. “Just a little surprised, is all.”</p><p>The two of them began eating, with Regis encouraging some enthusiastic conversation between the two of them, which Noctis appreciated. It had been a while since they had gotten together like this</p><p>When the two of them had finished breakfast, Regis said, “Now, I know there’s the banquet organised for you later tonight.”</p><p>Noctis’s smile dropped slightly. “Yeah…” He was never a big fan of those parties; they were more for show than anything, putting a suit and smile on for the Council members, the other nobles, the press and the public. If Noctis had a say in the matter, he would just<em> not go</em>. He would much rather spend the rest of his day in his room hanging out with his friends. But, of course, <em>royal protocol</em>-</p><p>“But, before that, I have a few surprises in store,” Regis finished, standing up from his chair. He picked up something on the chair next to him and Noctis could see that it was a long, brightly covered box.</p><p>“What’s this?”, Noctis asked as the long box was placed onto his lap.</p><p>Regis smiled wryly. “The first of my surprises.”</p><p>“’First’?”, he repeated back in confusion but his father didn’t say anything. Seeing that he wasn’t getting any other hint from him, Noctis opened the box, unsure of what to expect.</p><p>He set the lid down and looked down at the box and what he saw caught him completely off guard. “Wh- Dad?!” He looked up at Regis, who just continued to smile. Noctis reached into the box, delicately taking the gift into his hands. It was a fishing rod though it wasn’t a normal one like some people would assume. Noctis had honed his fishing skills over the years, since it was one of his favourite pastimes, meaning he would gradually need a sturdier fishing rod than before. Within the box were also different fishing lines and lures. He ran a hand over the smooth material in awe. He had talked about how great this particular model was for bigger or trickier fish to catch but… he didn’t remember telling his father about it.</p><p>“How did you know about this?!”</p><p>Regis nudged his son’s shoulder with his own. “Let’s just say I have some very helpful informants.” Before Noctis could ask what he meant, he asked, “Do you like it?”</p><p>Noctis gaped at him and then looked at his gift. “It’s perfect!” He lunged forward to hug his father tightly. “Thank you so much, dad.”</p><p>Regis started at his sudden enthusiasm but gratefully returned the hug and patted his back. “You’re very welcome, son, but no need to thank me yet. There are a few more surprises to come.”</p><p>Noctis raised an eyebrow. “Really? What else is there?”</p><p>Regis placed the lid back onto the box and lifted it off his lap. “Well, you’re going to have to come with me.” Without saying another word, Regis made to leave the dining room, Noctis following after him in confusion. He was eventually led to the elevator and Regis went to press a button before pausing. “I’m going to need you close your eyes here.”</p><p>Noctis frowned. “Really?” His father nodded adamantly. He shrugged and complied. “Okay.” He heard the light click indicating that one of the buttons was pressed. He felt the elevator moving, though he could pinpoint whether they were going down or up. Noctis shrugged the thought away, knowing there wasn’t any use in trying to figure out what his father had planned.</p><p>A few moments later, he felt the elevator stop and heard the doors sliding open. He felt his father gently take his hand to lead him out. “It’s just a few steps this way. No peeking.”</p><p>He pouted towards where he heard his father next to him. “I’m not!”</p><p>Noctis was led forward for a few more moments before Regis stopped him in his tracks and let go of his hand. “Okay, open them.”</p><p>Noctis opened his eyes and he found that he was standing in front of a car. At first, he thought it was the Regalia but, upon closer inspection, he found that it wasn’t. He slowly walked over to it, taking in all the details; there was a detailed pattern down the sides, along with intricate rims inside the tires. He ran his hand over the sleek black hood of the car.</p><p>He whipped around to stare at his father in shock. “Are you serious?!”</p><p>“Of course. What did you think those driving lessons were for?”</p><p>Noctis tried and failed to sputter out a response. He knew from those lessons that he would drive on his own eventually, but he never really thought about the type of car he would get.</p><p>He was about to muster up a response when his father dangled a set of keys in front of him. “So, are you going to do the honours?”</p><p>“Wait, you mean, drive somewhere <em>now</em>?”</p><p>Regis nodded. “Of course. What better time to take it out for a test drive?”</p><p>“But… where would I drive to?”</p><p>“I have an idea,” Regis said as he jingled the keys in front of him.</p><p>Noctis let out a surprised breath, taking the keys and feeling the weight of them in his hand. He unlocked the doors and swiftly placed himself in front of the steering wheel, letting himself feel the leather material. He heard his father open and close one of the back doors and then climbed into the passenger seat next to him. Taking a look in the rear-view mirror, he could see he had put the box in the back. He put the key into the ignition and started the car, letting the engine spur alive.</p><p>His lessons coming back to mind, Noctis manoeuvred the car out of the Citadel’s garage and onto the road. As he began zooming down the road, he noticed a couple of Crownsguard vans turning onto the road with them.</p><p>Noctis sighed. “Guards to watch over us?”</p><p>“Or to make sure you don’t crash the car.”</p><p>He gaped at his father before redirecting his attention to the road. “Oh, thanks! I’m not that bad.”</p><p>Regis smirked as his son pouted at him. After a moment, Noctis was chuckling with him and let his father direct him through the city.</p><p>The two of them had driven through the city for about another ten minutes before Regis instructed Noctis to turn left off the road, which led them down a narrow road made of dirt and through the woodland. It wasn’t an area Noctis was familiar with though his father seemed to know where they were going.</p>
<hr/><p>“It’s just through here!”, Regis said with enthusiasm as he hobbled over the dirt and rocks with his cane, bringing the fishing gear from the car, with Noctis carrying a cooler that was in the trunk. The younger men kept wanting to warn his father to not strain his leg but the king didn’t seem too fazed. If anything, Noctis felt like he had to keep up with him since he seemed to have more experience in walking through this area with ease.</p><p>As he was walking, Noctis looked up above him, seeing countless trees blocking his view of the sky. Bits of sunlight were peeking through the leaves, illuminating the whole forest in a warm light. It was a pretty image, Noctis thought.</p><p>He was drawn from his observation when the scent of something wet yet fresh caught his attention. He looked ahead to see that his father was standing in an open area away from the woods. The ground was covered in lush and bright green grass, with small red and yellow flowers covering the whole expanse. In front of them was a massive round lake; the water was clear and glimmered in the bright sun.</p><p>Noctis walked forward so he was standing next to his father, who seemed to be transfixed onto the water with a solemn smile on his face. He didn’t seem like he was about to speak so Noctis spoke up. “Cool place, dad… what’s so special about it?”</p><p>He looked at Noctis and his mouth hung open. He looked like he was about to answer but he shook his head. “What makes you think there’s something special about it?”</p><p>“Dad… you like look you’re about to cry. You can tell me.”</p><p>Regis was silent for a moment longer than Noctis had liked. He knew that, despite his smile, his father looked upset.</p><p>“I used to frequent here with your mother.”</p><p>Noctis’s head immediately turned to face him at the mention of Aulea. They never really talked about his mother in the past because Noctis hated seeing the way his father’s face crumpled in grief whenever he asked. So, eventually, Noctis stopped bringing her up. However, this was one of the rare moments where Regis was talking about her unprompted.</p><p>“This was one of the places she loved to come to on her own. When we began seeing each other, she always brought me here whenever we wanted privacy from the press’ prying eyes. It was… a comforting experience. I would’ve brought you here sooner but… I hadn’t visited since you mother had…”</p><p>“Dad…”</p><p>Regis looked over his, with a nostalgic smile and tears in his eyes. “I know she would’ve wanted to bring you here.”</p><p>Noctis looked down at the ground solemnly and closed his eyes to prevent any tears from flowing over. “I- I miss her. I wish I could see her now.”</p><p>Regis curled an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. “You were the most valuable person in her life, Noct. She would’ve given anything to stay with you.”</p><p>Scrunching his eyes shut even tighter, Noctis leaned his head on his dad’s shoulder. He heard snippets about his mother over the years but this was the first time his father had really opened up about her without trying to divert the subject.</p><p>“I’m sorry, dad,” he whispered brokenly.</p><p>He felt something warm and soft press against his hair. “Don’t be sorry. You deserve to know about her.”</p><p>Noctis opened his eyes, wiping at them before any tears could spill over. He looked out into the distance across the lake. He tried to picture his mother there, thinking about the things she would’ve liked to do, imagining her smile from the few pictures he had seen.</p><p>The two of them stood like that for a long moment. A few minutes later, Regis patted him on the shoulder and broke them apart. He smiled softly at him. “Well… seeing as we’re here…” He trailed off, leaning down to pick up the fishing rod to hand it to Noctis. “It’s been a while since I’ve watched you fish.”</p><p>Noctis gaped at him and then looked at the water in front of him. He was right; he couldn’t remember the last time he had gone fishing with his father, only being able to go with his friends. It brought back memories of his teenage years, when he had first showed interest in the hobby and his father had agreed to take him to different spots to practice.</p><p>“Yeah, it has.” He gently took the rod from him and began preparing his line with ease. He stood at the edge of the lake, watching for the fish before casting his line, hearing the lure plop into the water. Noctis and his father had engaged in idle chat as he began catching a couple of little fish with ease. Regis would also help Noctis handle the fish after catching, carefully placing them in the cooler, which the prince thanked him for with a small smile.</p><p>He showed them off to his father with enthusiasm that always put a smile on Regis’s face. He was not experienced with fishing himself but watching his son show the amount of energy he had lost after his daemon attack brought the king an immense amount of relief. Regis was always eager to hear about Noctis’s experiences while fishing because he loved the way his face lit up whenever he went on about a particular fish he had trouble catching before succeeding.</p><p>They were cut off from their chatter when Noctis felt a particularly heavy tug on his line. Regis smirked. “Ah, I think you’ve got a big one.”</p><p>Noctis nodded as he carefully began to reel in. “Yeah, have to make sure that it doesn’t get away or that I snap the line.”</p><p>“Very true, but what that fish doesn’t know is that it is dealing with an expert.”</p><p>The young man smirked at his father before focusing his concentration on the reel. Every now and again, it seemed like the fish was about to get away, prompting Noctis to reel in a little gentler. Eventually, the fish was close enough for Noctis to properly reel in for good. However, as it was a big fish, it began to put up more of a fight, jerking Noctis from side to side. He had to keep a firm grip on the fishing rod without it breaking.</p><p>Regis was about to surge forward to help his son when Noctis finally yanked the fish out of the water and held it up with a victorious smile on his face.</p><p>“Oh, man, that’s awesome!” He continued looking at the big fish in triumph and then looked over to Regis with that bright smile on his smile that the king had missed seeing. “Dad, did you see that?!”</p><p>Regis had to quickly wipe his eyes before he began to cry. “Yes. That was very impressive, Noct. Well done!” Despite the fish still in his son’s hands, Regis immediately pulled Noctis into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispered.</p><p>Noctis laughed awkwardly. “Thanks, dad. Glad you got to see it.”</p><p>“As am I,” he replied proudly.</p><p>They stood in the hug for a minute, letting themselves savour this moment. Here, they weren’t seen a king and a prince.</p><p>Here, they were just a father and son celebrating a birthday.</p>
<hr/><p>After Regis had helped Noctis place the big fish into the cooler, the two of them decided it was a good time to head back to the palace. Not to mention, Regis had said there was one more surprise in store.</p><p>As they were driving back to the Citadel, Noctis had asked, “What else could there possibly be?”</p><p>Of course, his father had given a non-response to avoid spoiling anything. They had arrived back at the Citadel a little before noon and Regis said that his last surprise was in Noctis’s old room, reassuring him that the Crownsguard would take care of the cargo he had caught. They swiftly made their way to his room and Regis encouraged Noctis to go in first.</p><p>He complied and-</p><p>“SURPRISE!”</p><p>As soon as he did so, he heard Prompto’s boisterous voice, seeing him, Ignis and Gladio beside him.</p><p>His room was dark but lit up in a warm light so that they could see. Yellow string lights were hung up all around the room. The couch in front of his television was covered in comfy pillows and blankets and the little table in front of the couch had all of his favourite snacks and food, along with several wrapped gifts. Plugged into the television was his gaming console from his apartment and stacked next to it were a bunch of DVD cases.</p><p>Noctis was gobsmacked. He whipped back around to face his father. “What’s all this?!”</p><p>“I know you don’t particularly enjoy those birthday banquets, so I figured something could be arranged for you enjoy both before and after the party,” Regis said with a smile.</p><p>Noctis looked back at the scene in awe. This whole day was… everything he wanted for birthday. All he wanted was to spend his day with his father and his friends.</p><p>And that was exactly what he got.</p><p>“Ignis made all the food,” Prompto stated eagerly. “And the big guy and I brought all your stuff.”</p><p>“More like I carried all the stuff because the squirt thought he could lift everything on his own.”</p><p>“Call me ‘squirt’ one more time.”</p><p>Gladio shrugged and smirked. “You asked for it, squirt.”</p><p>Noctis watched the scene play out before him, not really making any move forward, still trying to wrap his mind around what was going on.</p><p>He felt his father nudge him forward. “Go on. I’ll see you later today.”</p><p>Noctis turned back around again and Regis could see the tears in his eyes. This time, however, they did spill over. He grabbed his father and hugged him tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you so much.”</p><p>He felt his father card a hand through his hair and then hugged him back. “You’re very welcome. You deserve everything in the world and beyond.”</p><p>Noctis pulled away and rubbed at his wet eyes with a laugh. “No need to get all cheesy with me, dad.”</p><p>Regis opened his mouth to respond but he stopped himself. Instead, he smiled back and ran his hand through his hair again. “Happy birthday, son. I hope you enjoy yourself.”</p><p>Noctis’s smile grew even wider, responding that he will. The two of them gave their brief goodbyes and Regis watched as Noctis went to join his friends. They sat him down on the couch and handed him his presents. Prompto was already loading up movie, Ignis was plating up their food and Gladio probably said something snarky based on Noctis’s reaction of trying to bat him away and Shield chuckling in amusement.</p><p>The scene in front of him was all he ever wanted for Noctis: safe, happy and surrounded by those who loved him. He was glad he could provide that for him today. Regis had to duck his head away and exited the room before any of them could see his own tears.</p><p>He swiftly left the room, the sound of his son’s joyous laughter uplifting his heart.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Birthday Noctis!! ❤️</p><p>Thank you so much for reading!! :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>